Why Slater flatly ignored Origin icons' advice

3 years ago 346

Newly appointed Queensland manager Billy Slater has rejected claims a deficiency of coaching acquisition volition beryllium a hindrance successful his role, declaring he's unfastened to assistance but volition tackle the presumption his ain way.

Slater, who played 31 Origins and was an integral subordinate of Queensland's eight-year domination, was named arsenic Paul Green's replacement aft the premiership victor suffered a 2-1 decision this twelvemonth successful his debut bid arsenic coach. It was revealed earlier this period that Green and the QRL had agreed to portion ways.

In the lead-up to Slater's elevation from Maroons selector to caput coach, NSW mentor Brad Fittler questioned whether Slater could tackle Origin coaching without immoderate benignant of anterior caput coaching experience.

Before taking the Blues occupation successful 2018, Fittler had erstwhile acquisition arsenic a caput manager for the Roosters, betwixt 2007 and 2009.

After a palmy archetypal season, things turned sour and helium was yet sacked with a 43 per cent triumph rate. He besides coached NSW Under 16s and Under 18s earlier being fixed a accidental astatine elder level.

"If I'm going to beryllium frank, I don't deliberation I'm going to cognize the crippled immoderate amended successful 3 years clip than I bash now," Slater told Wide World of Sports, erstwhile asked if helium had considered Fittler's advice.

"I deliberation I cognize the crippled arsenic bully arsenic I tin present but I'm nether nary illusion I'm going to marque mistakes and germinate arsenic a coach.

"Look, Freddy and I person a truly respectful narration I deliberation he's done a fantastic occupation with the NSW team. In the 4 years he's been successful complaint he's created a truly bully culture.

"From afar it's thing you person to admire. We've got a antithetic team, antithetic civilization successful Queensland. It's our own."

There's been speculation Slater volition look to bring chap rugby league greats and erstwhile Maroons teammates Cameron Smith and Johnathan Thurston, who was an adjunct to Green this year, into the fold successful immoderate capableness for adjacent year's series.

Slater confirmed he'll name assistants successful the coming months and is consenting to enactment with Queensland greats to get the Maroons backmost to the top. Reports starring up to Slater's assignment claimed a elder mentor similar Wayne Bennett was being sought to assistance the rookie manager with the transition.

The Maroons large said having a mentor overseeing his tenure wasn't portion of the woody with the QRL, but he's unfastened to receiving help, though he's "confident" of doing it his way.

Slater represented Australia successful 30 Test matches and played 323 games for the Melbourne Storm, portion playing 31 games for Queensland. He's efficaciously spent 12 months of his beingness successful Origin camp.

He said helium doesn't person to look excessively acold to find inspiration successful the coaching ranks having won aggregate premierships with Craig Bellamy and a bagful of Origin bid nether Mal Meninga.

Having spent his full vocation astatine the Storm, Slater admits determination volition beryllium "elements" of Bellamy's attack successful the mode helium handles things, yet helium volition yet trade his ain individuality arsenic a coach.

"I spoke to a fewer radical and craig was 1 of them. I've got a large narration with Craig and it goes further than a subordinate and a coach," helium said.

"I'm the idiosyncratic and manager that I americium present due to the fact that of the experiences I've had and Craig has been a large portion of those. Am I going to beryllium the aforesaid coach? No I don't deliberation so.

"But determination volition beryllium elements of his coaching doctrine that would person rubbed disconnected connected me. But astatine the aforesaid clip determination person been times successful my vocation erstwhile I've challenged Craig to bash things differently.

"That's what it's each astir is crafting your ain benignant and I'm looking guardant to unearth that."

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